Tuesday 20th August, 2019

Accra, Aug. 20, GNA - The Peasant Farmers
Association of Ghana (PFAG) has called on government to channel the subsidized
fertilizers through farmer groups and associations for subsequent distribution
to members to avoid smuggling.

The Association called on all farmers, the
public and civil servants working with institutions handling subsidized
fertilizers to serve as a watchdogs to provide timely information on any hint
of smuggling to the security agencies.

Mr Abdul-Rahman Mohammed, the National
President of PFAG, made the call on Tuesday at a press briefing held to
deliberate on the increasing rate of smuggled subsidized fertilizers in the
country.

Government as part of its vision to increase
agricultural production, subsidized fertilizers for smallholder farmers in the
country.

The subsidy means, the farmers will pay 50
per cent, amounting to GH¢75 of the price of a bag of fertilizer which cost GH¢150.

In January 2019, two trucks loaded with bags
of fertilizers meant for the “Planting for Food and Job programme were
impounded by the security when the drivers of the trucks tried to cross the
Paga border into Burkina-Faso.

Each of the two trucks was carrying 2000
(25kg) Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) branded fertilizers, bringing the total
to 4000 bags that were being smuggled to the detriment of the farmers in the
Upper East region.

Also in August, the Police arrested six
persons at Ogorme, a suburb of Somanya in the Eastern Region for smuggling
4,000 bags of subsidized fertilizers.

Mr Mohammed said the estimated total number
of smuggled fertilizers as at July 2019 stands at 99,400 bags valued about at
GH¢7.4 million.

The Association has called on authorities to
publish the names of all smugglers and impose stringent sanctions to serve as a
deterrent to others.

“We also call on the Special Prosecutor’s
office to investigate all smuggling cases and bring the culprits to book”.

He said the inception of the fertilizer
subsidy programme under the PFJ in 2017 has benefited many smallholder farmers
as they are able to expand their farms and can afford fertilizers at a
reasonable price in 2017 and 2018 farming seasons.

Mr Mohammed said the high rate of consistent
smuggling in 2019 has made it difficult for the farmers to access the
fertilizers, and as a result, many of the farmers rely on the open market
fertilizers at a cost of GH¢150.

The Association commended President
Akufo-Addo for calling on the security agencies to arrest any culprit who
sabotaged government policies especially fertilizer smuggling.

Mr Charles Kwowe Nyaaba, the Head of
Programmes, PFAG, said his outfit had to calm farmers in the northern regions
who had threatened to demonstrate on the issue, calling on government to act
quickly to avert any problems.

Mr Wefia Addo Awal Adugwala, a Board Member
for PFAG representing Western and Central regions, urged government to intervene
on the issues because some persons are sabotaging government policy on
agriculture.

Mr Mugiss Badigamsi Abdulai, a Board Member
of PFAG, said government policies on agriculture has increased the interest of
the youth to engage in farming, but the incidence of smuggled fertilizers could
discourage many prospective farmers.